A Rose for Laura by Callie Hutton
4
Keniel liked Miss Benson and he did feel uncomfortable about taking the townhouse away from her and her orphans if this new property was acceptable to him. Additionally, he also would not mind spending time with a pretty woman to whom he felt an attraction.
"You would do that?"
"Yes. As I mentioned, I don’t have a great deal of time, but I have many contacts at the club who I can question about leasing properties, which was something I had not been pursuing."
"Club?"
"Yes. I am the manager of The Rose Room, a gentlemen's club."
Her eyes narrowed. "You mean the Rose Room gaming club?"
He hesitated, getting the feeling she was unhappy about that. "Uh, yes."
She leaned forward, fire in her eyes. "Do you realize it is the men who patronize your club that take advantage of women, leaving them with babies they must leave at a foundling home because they can't care for them without a husband?"
He reared back at the venom in her voice. "Where did you get that idea?"
She snorted. "I know it for a fact." She moved even closer and glared at him as if he were one of those men. "Several women we spoke with had to surrender their babies because they'd been employees of so-called gentlemen who took advantage of them and then blithely dismissed them when they became with child."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she continued. "Then you have the poor women who end up in the same predicament with no means of support other than servicing men because of Society's archaic rules." She pointed her finger at him, as if he were also accountable for all the fallen women in London. "Men don't take responsibility for the outcomes of their actions."
He raised his hands in surrender but could not help the grin that reached his lips. She was such a firebrand for a little woman. "Just a moment, Miss Benson. I agree there are those who take advantage of women, but that has nothing to do with how I earn my living. The Rose brothers are honorable gentlemen who run a respectable business." He saw no need to go into the full story of how he'd just been acknowledged by the Rose brothers as one of them.
She sniffed and looked out the window.
"Very well. If you do not wish my assistance, that is up to you." He took his last sip of tea. "If you are finished, I will settle our bill."
Miss Benson remained silent as they made their way out of the tea shop and into his carriage. Once the vehicle was on its way to the direction she'd given his driver, she took a deep breath and looked directly at him. "I apologize for my outburst, Mr. Singh. From what I have seen so far, I believe that you have nothing to do with the actions of dishonorable men, but I see the results of their carelessness. And I feel that gambling away their money, in some cases the money to feed their family, is another badly-behaved deed."
Happy to have her no longer accusing him of ruining most of the women in London, he said, "I agree with you. However, the Rose Room's policy is to limit how much a man can lose, and more than once we've put a player into a carriage and sent him on his way when he was too far into his cups to make sensible decisions."
She offered a tentative smile. "That is quite noble."
"Then we are not so bad?"
"Again, I apologize for jumping to conclusions. It's just that I feel so strongly about the injustices women deal with every day."
"Ah. So now comes the suffragette speech."
"Don't you see it all goes together? If women had the right to vote, and then the ability to serve in Parliament, perhaps some of these restrictive laws that keep women from caring for themselves could be struck down."
He loved watching Miss Benson's fire as she spoke of injustice. She looked like a warrior raising her sword in the air as she shouted a call to battle. What would it be like to see all that passion in his bed? Foolish idea since he'd just received a scathing lecture on the way women were taken advantage of by men.
Although he had his doubts that anyone would be able to take advantage of Miss Benson.
She cleared her throat, drawing his attention from her lovely body to her equally lovely face. "If your offer still stands to help me find a residence for my orphans, I will be happy to accept. As much as I hate to admit it, I agree that the property owner will be much more likely to accept your offer of purchase rather than my offer of leasing."
He dipped his head. "I will begin my search tonight."
"At the club."
"Yes."
She nodded and grabbed the strap next to her head as the carriage came to a rolling stop in front of an elegant townhouse just outside of Mayfair. The homes in this area were slightly larger than those in other neighborhoods. Hunt's townhouse was only two streets over and he was quite sure Driscoll and Dante both had townhouses not far from there as well.
Keniel exited the carriage and turned to offer his hand to Miss Benson. She accepted his hand and he again felt the connection and the warmth of their joined hands. Unsettling was the only word that fit. He was more aware of her than he'd been of any woman before.
"I shall begin my inquiry this evening and send around a note when I have something to offer," he said.
"Thank you." They'd reached the top of the steps and she turned to him. "I do appreciate your offer, Mr. Singh." She stuck her hand out like the forceful, independent woman she was. "I hope we can become friends in this venture."
He shook her hand but had more of a desire to cover her mouth with his. Pull her close and feel the softness of her body pressed up to his. A fine well-deserved slap in the face would be the result, he was sure. Instead, he gave her a bow and returned to his carriage.
True to his word,he questioned a few of the club members over the next few nights.
"I thought you said you'd found a house to purchase?" Dante asked as he walked up to him near the end of the evening. "Earlier I heard you asking for house leases."
Keniel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall while he watched the play at one of the tables. He had reason to believe one of the players was cheating, and this was not the first time he'd believed that of the man. "I did but I met a young woman, Miss Benson, who wanted to lease the house I purchased. She is on a committee that is attempting to secure new lodgings for orphans. Babies."
"And you're helping her after stealing the house that would house homeless babies right from under her?" He grinned, his eyes full of mirth.
Keniel sighed. "It's not as terrible as it sounds. The man who owned the property had been trying to sell it for months. He put it up for lease when he was unable to find a buyer. After viewing the place and finding it acceptable, I offered a fair price and the owner accepted."
"Is this a bit of guilt I hear?" Dante said.
"Probably."
"Or is Miss Benson fair of face and form also?"
Keniel pushed away from the wall and strolled away, speaking over his shoulder. "One might say that."
Dante's laugh followed him.
The next morning, he sent a note to Miss Benson, setting up a time when they could meet to go over the properties he'd found. He tried to tell himself there was no reason for him to accompany her, but the part of him that appreciated the 'fair of face and form' young woman, heartily disagreed and said he must be a gentleman and escort her.
* * *
A few daysafter Laura's encounter with Mr. Singh, a letter arrived for her. She quickly skimmed the message. It seemed he had been busy questioning friends and members of the Rose Room and had two townhouses for them to consider.
Although she'd been looking at properties by herself for days, she found the idea of having someone along to help assess all the important things, like security, soundness of the building and so forth would be nice. She was sure Mr. Singh, like most men, would have more knowledge along those lines than she did.
And that was the only reason, she assured herself.
His note had mentioned he would call for her the next day at eleven in the morning. She awaited his arrival in the drawing room, attempting to distract herself with a book she'd been enjoying, Misogyny in Excelsis, by Annie Besant. Despite the author's profound words, it didn't hold her interest as she kept looking up at the doorway, waiting for Mr. Singh to arrive.
Finally, Carlson, their butler, entered the drawing room. "A Mr. Keniel Singh has arrived, Miss Benson."
Ready to go, she stood and fetched her reticule and cape and left the room. She was taken again at the handsome man who stood in the entrance hall awaiting her. He wore dark trousers, a deep blue waistcoat, a stark white shirt, and blue and white striped ascot.
His eyes roamed from her head to her toes, not in a way that she found repulsive, but brought pleasant shivers to her body.
Ever the gentleman, he reached out and took the cape from her hands and placed it over her shoulders.
"Thank you," she mumbled, hoping her voice did not sound as squeaky as she feared it did.
Mr. Singh took her by the elbow and escorted her down the steps. He directed her to his carriage, a smart, shiny black vehicle with gold trim around the windows and doors. A driver stood at the ready and opened the door. Mr. Singh took her hand to help her in, and then followed, sitting across from her.
This was a different vehicle than the one he'd escorted her to tea in. The inside was as lovely as the outer carriage. Soft leather seats were well cushioned, making the ride smooth and easy. Laura was impressed, since the carriage compared quite well to her father's, a successful businessman. She ran her fingers over the leather seat. "This is a lovely carriage, Mr. Singh. Is it new?"
He winced as he placed his hat on the seat alongside him. "Yes, it is new. My brothers insisted I must purchase a decent carriage and, when I failed to show the proper enthusiasm, they'd deemed necessary for such an acquisition, they bought one for me."
"How generous of them."
He looked out the window and nodded. "Yes. Very. I am having a hard time with some of it, though." As if sorry he'd mentioned something so personal, he quickly turned to her. "As indicated in my note, there are two properties that might suit your needs."
Laura straightened in her seat. "Yes. I'm anxious to see them. I learned from one of the committee members that the owner of the property where the orphans now reside has indicated he would like the building vacant by the end of the month."
Mr. Singh frowned. "That doesn't give you much time."
"No, it does not. That is why I am eager to find a place, so we can get the little ones all settled. 'Tis quite disruptive for them, you know." She shook her head, thinking of the babies who had such a difficult start in life.
"Hopefully one of these two will be perfect." He no sooner got the words out when the carriage came to a stop. Mr. Singh shifted forward, didn't wait for the driver to open the door, then jumped out. He held his hand out which she took, again the disturbing tingle running up her arm.
"This looks like it might be nice." He took her elbow once more and led her up the steps. He produced a key from his pocket and opened the door.
"Oh, dear. No, I don't think so." Laura covered her mouth with her quickly retrieved handkerchief. The building smelled of dead animals and was filthy. Spider webs hung from mostly every corner. "I don't think anyone has lived here in years."
Mr. Singh leaned back on his heels, his hands resting on his hips. "I believe you're right. I have no idea why Shepherd suggested this place to me. Come." He quickly led her back out of the building and down the steps. Once they were on their way, he said, "I am sorry for that. Shepherd mentioned this was a place he'd inherited and didn't want to deal with it. I better let him know he has much to do, whether he likes it or not, to make it habitable."
"I haven't time—or money—for that."
"Yes. I know. Hopefully the next one will be better."
She sighed. "I doubt it could be worse."
The next residence was not worse, but not all that much better. The neighborhood was not safe enough, Keniel pointed out, and there were several broken windows which led them to believe random people were using it to sleep when the weather was too cold or too rainy to spend outdoors.
Once the carriage took off again, headed to Laura's townhouse, Keniel studied her. "Miss Benson. I have a suggestion."
She stirred, happy to hear any suggestion that might help. "What is that?”
"My brothers are hosting a dinner next week. There will be several of the Upper Crust there. I'm thinking it might provide a good occasion to ask for sponsors for your orphanage. I think if you were able to budget more for rent, you might be able to find a more suitable residence."
Excitement flooded through her. "More sponsors! That's a wonderful idea. Would you mind asking?"
"I won't be asking."
She was confused. "I don't understand."
"I would like you to attend the dinner as my guest. You would make a much better impression upon those who attend than I would."
"Wouldn't your brothers be upset that I turned a dinner into a fundraiser?"
"No. Because I won't tell them. I will simply say I am bringing a guest—they will be thrilled that it’s a woman, and please don’t ask why—and then you can work your magic while simply being you and speaking of your orphans and the difficulty with finding a suitable place for them to re-locate with the budget you have."
She chewed her lip, considering entering a roomful of strangers and then trying to wheedle them into becoming sponsors. "You've mentioned your brothers before, but I don't believe you've ever told me their names."
For a moment, Mr. Singh looked uncomfortable. "The Earl of Huntington is hosting the dinner—"
"—Hunt! The Earl of Huntington is your brother? How is that possible? I know the earl and his wife, Lady Diana. I also know he has two brothers, Driscoll Rose and Dante Rose, who own the Rose Room." Did he not know she was familiar with most families of the aristocracy?
"Don't look so suspicious," he said. "They are all my brothers."
"I don't see a family resemblance," she sniffed, then immediately wished the words back. Her dear departed mama would be appalled at her bad manners.
Instead of being insulted, which she thought he would have the right to be, Mr. Singh burst out laughing. "Well done, Miss Benson."
She felt the flush grow from her chest up to her face. "I apologize, Mr. Singh. I never should have said that."
"Why not? It is true, is it not?" He leaned back on the seat and rested his foot on his knee. "I am the unknown brother. Unknown, that was, until my mother revealed my tie to the family right before she died. She made me promise I would attempt to find them. At the time I had no idea they were the Rose brothers from London's well-known Rose Room rogues."
"This is most interesting. So how did you come to be working for them? Because you're their brother?"
He shook his head. "No. I worked for the club for a year before I told them." He smiled. "Actually, I never got the chance to tell them before Hunt received a letter from a friend in Jamaica who assumed I had already taken care of that."
"Why did you wait so long?"
He closed his eyes for a moment. "What would you think if a woman you knew nothing of, who looked nothing like you, arrived from another country and claimed to be your sister? Especially if you were a member of the nobility with all the money, title and connections that went with it?"
"Hmm. I see what you mean." She paused. "What was their reaction?"
"After offering proof—that they accepted—they welcomed me as if I were a long-lost brother."
"You were."
He grinned. "Yes. That is true. The long-lost brother." He shifted in his seat. "That is how this dinner came to be. They want to publicly acknowledge me and introduce me to their friends. I've already been accepted as a member of their gentlemen's club and met some of their cohorts there."
"That is one fascinating story. Do you have siblings?"
"No. I was an only child. My mother was half Jamaican and half Indian. My father was, of course, the late Earl of Huntington. It turned out I had been working for the earl on his plantation for years before it was sold. That was apparently how he and my mother became acquainted. He was visiting his plantation and was taken with her." He looked over at Laura. "My mother was an extremely talented artist and a beautiful, gracious woman, the daughter of an Indian small business owner and his wife, a free Jamaican woman."
The love and devotion in his eyes for his mother touched her in a place that had been hidden since she'd lost her own mother. "Then once you came to London, you looked up your brothers?"
"Yes. I thought the best way to see what sort of men they were would be to observe them before revealing myself. I applied for a position with the club and, since they'd just lost their manager, and they were impressed with the fact that I had worked for their—our—father from such a young age, they offered me that position."
"If you were a woman I would say that is a true Cinderella story."
He studied her for a moment. "Ah, but I am not a woman. I am a man."
The way he said that, and the look in his eyes, had her stomach quivering as if a swarm of butterflies had taken up residence. Then she remembered his words about his brothers being happy he was bringing a woman to the dinner.
"Um, are you concerned that your brothers might get the wrong idea if I show up with you to this very important dinner?"
He offered her a slight, lopsided grin. "What wrong idea would that be, Miss Benson?"